Reviews for Shell Island Dolphin & Snorkeling Tour in Panama City Beach

My family and I had a great trip with our Captain.. got to swim with wild dolphins and see shell island and to top if off he took us to see sea turtles my favorite thing on this planet!! We will be back that's for sure

A Definite Recommend for a family! Our family of 6 had a great experience using Salty Fins Tours. Our guide Hunter was awesome. He made everyone including the kids feel welcome and safe. Though the water was not perfect for viewing that day we were able to hop in and see the dolphins. What an experience for our children! They couldn’t believe they were in the water with them. That it actually happened. So fun! Our snorkel excursion following the dolphin swim was lots of fun as well. Hunter found us a cool spot to anchor and jumped in with us to go find some sea creatures. The kids were able to see some cool fish, a few really cool star fish and Hunter brought us some living sand dollars. All in all a great excursion for everyone. The boat ride wasn’t too long (just enjoyable) and everyone had a good time (including Hunter)!

We had an absolute great time! Hunter was an awesome tour guide. We got to see about 20 dolphins, sea turtle and sting ray. We didn’t have the camera ready at first so we definitely missed some good shots of the dolphins. We got in the water and the dolphins swam right under us! Starfish, sand dollars, baby flounder, scallop, hermit crabs and beautiful shells. It was a wonderful experience and we will definitely be doing this again.

We had the best time with Captain Josh on August 2nd! We got to see a lot of dolphins and went snorkeling. We found some sand dollars and a lot of shells! It was my daughter’s birthday and Captain Josh made sure she had a blast! Next time we are back in Panama City we will definitely be doing this again! It was my kids favorite part of our trip! Thank you Captain Josh! 🐬🐚

this place was the best!! we made a super last minute decision to come and we were not disappointed, super nice over the phone and got us in within the hour!! Justin was the BEST!! super down to earth guy and focused on us enjoying as much we could!! he brought us to see dolphins, we had a blast scuba diving for sea shells and sand dollars and he found us some to keep as well!! we even had the opportunity to see a HAMMERHEAD!! 10/10 experience this was the absolute best part of our trip!! book with them!!

We did a 4 hour tour with Captain Justin and it was exactly what we had hoped it would be. He provided recommendations based on our preferences. We got to go snorkeling, saw and swam with lots of dolphins, spent an hour exploring Shell Island, and then ended the day with a beautiful sunset! Would definitely recommend for a carefree and enjoyable day at sea!

It was nice having Hunter, because he was a Floridian and knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife! He also had a Selection of tunes to play while we were touring the coast line. And the Dolphins were cool too!

One of the best experiences I've ever had! Bryce is an amazing captain who is knowledge about sealife and very respectful of how he drove the boat around the dolphins. I'm already planning to visit Florida again just to book another tour with Salty Fins!

We had such a great experience with Salty Fins! Hunter was our boat captain and he was so awesome pointing out things and telling us about the area! The dolphins were being a little difficult but Hunter made sure to give our family plenty of tries at swimming with them! When we went to snorkel he was great about mentioning where to stand to get in and what to look for! We had a great time!

Amazing time, super well worth it. They got us in for an evening private tour the 5 us, we saw and jumped in and swam with dolphins, went snorkeling, visited the preserves beach which were amazing and were able to see deer on the beach up close being fed by a neighboring tour boat! The captain was very knowledgeable and friendly, the owners personally greet you and set you up with the captain. I would recommend to anyone and would definitely do it again!

We had a great experience with Salty Fins! Capt Thomas showed us a great time and found the dolphins my daughter wanted to see for her birthday. We had to reschedule our original date we booked and that process was easy too. We will definitely book with them again!

Probably the best tour out there. Saw so many dolphins and had a relaxing time on Shell island. Incredibly memorable! Thanks to our captain Hunter.

We had an amazing time on the salty fins private boat tour with Hunter! He was very knowledgeable about Shell Island and the dolphins, we got to see! Although the water was cold and the dolphins moved further out we had a blast! This was the best way to tour the waters and Shell Island!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’re in Panama City Beach and looking to experience pristine waters, dolphins, snorkeling, or shell collecting, Salty Fins is an absolute must! Bryce, the owner and captain, went above and beyond our expectations. We were honestly both excited and nervous about taking our 6-month-old infant on a boat ride into the Gulf, but Bryce’s kindness, patience, and professionalism immediately put us at ease. We chose a private boat tour, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. He took us to crystal-clear waters where we got to see and play alongside dolphins—an unforgettable moment. At Shell Island, Bryce was incredibly thoughtful and even spent time helping our 8-year-old daughter collect shells, making her day truly special. These are moments we never expected when we booked the tour, but they made the experience magical for our entire family. If you’re looking for a family-friendly experience, especially with kids or infants, don’t think twice—Salty Fins with Bryce is 100% the way to go. Bryce, thank you for turning our Shell Island and dolphin tour into a lifetime memory. God bless you and your wife abundantly for your warmth, passion, and hospitality. Keep rocking in Panama City Beach, Florida! 🌊🐬

Did the dolphin tour today and Thomas was great!! Got to see some dolphins, snorkel at shell island and saw a few sea turtles!

Joshua was absolutely amazing. Went out of the way to show us sea turtles also helped us snorkel to find all different type of fish. Big crabs jellyfish dolphins shells got us a jellyfish to hold was very very nice. Very pleasing great great review.

Capt Hunter was great found dolphins and turtles when others where on cb saying hard to find, then to shell island to find shells and living sea creatures well worth it Thank You for making are anniversary week great Kurms

Josh is an amazing captain! He took the time to make sure our girls trip tour was AMAZING and memorable. He made several stops to ensure we saw dolphins, sea turtles, and more offering each stop for us to get in the water. He also took pictures for us. We all felt safe and comfortable the entire trip! We will definitely be back!!!

Hunter was very informative during our 2 hour trip! They were able to accommodate 2 late comers onto our boat with no issues! We saw dolphins and sea turtles, and got to snorkel at shell island!

Our captain, Josh was excellent! Per our request, he had a goal of showing us dolphins and boy did he ever deliver. We were able to view numerous dolphins up and close to our boat. It was almost as if they knew Josh was there and came right up to us. We also had a great time snorkeling at shell island. I would highly recommend.